Divided We Fall

In the aftermath of the disaster that befell our nation on September 11, 2001, our battle cry was a unanimous "United We Stand". Ironically, just about a week shy of the anniversary of that horrific occasion, another unspeakable tragedy is infolding in our country. However, the phrase that may best sum up the circumstances following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina is "Divided We Fall". Due largely to the division of peoples due to race and/ or social class, our fellow Americans in New Orleans are needlessly suffering. Some narrow-minded folks have blamed the impoverished victims who "chose not to evacuate" before the storm hit. With 40% of its population living below the poverty line, the majority of the people still stranded in the Hell that New Orleans has become had no means to evacuate the city in the two days from the time the evacuation was ordered till the storm hit. When you live in abject poverty and do not own a car or have the money to subsidize a move to a different town, then you are in real trouble. Officials from FEMA and the local and federal governments new this fact and projected that 100,000 to 200,000 people would be left behind in the event of a forced evacuation due to the lack of means to escape. They analyzed differnet scenarios in the event of a hurricane of this magnitude in New Orleans and knew that a certain amount of people could not escape. Yet five days after the storm, people are still stranded in the city, starving to death, dying from dehydration and lack of medical attention, and yet help is only just now coming. By the time the rescue effort is at full strength, thousands of victims will have died while awaiting rescue. How is it that we can send aid to the Tsunami victims within days, but can't help our own citizens. Babies are dying in public, elderly people are dying in front of news cameras, and street gangs are terrorizing the few well intentioned people who are trying to help while awaiting back-up from the National Guard. Should our Guardsmen be dying in Iraq for a country that should be governing itself by now, or should they be Stateside like they were intended to be in the event of a national emergency?

Do whatever you can to help the people suffering in the Gulf Coast. Bethany and I spent our honeymoon in New Orleans. The romantic, vibrant, life-loving city once called "the Big Easy" has become a symbol of what can go wrong in this country when our priorities and resources are misplaced. Give to the Red Cross or your favorite charity. Take a homeless family into your home. Do what you can to help because "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" is true whichever way we allow it to go.